Finger grip expandable garment hanger



March 18, 1947. L. B HARRls ETAL FINGER GRIP EXPANDABLE GARMENT HANGERFiled April 22, 1946 v G gm---.w-1------ a a a z B R R A H 9 D R A W E LE L A C m P R 0 h V w. Y B

Patented Mar. 18, 1947 FINGER GRIP EXPANDABLE GARMENT HANGER Leonard B.Harris, Southold, and Vito R. Pascale,

New York, N. Y.

Application April 22, 1946, Serial No. 664,110

This invention relates to expanding clothes hangers which areparticularly adapted for hanging up ladies skirts, trousers and likegarments.

An object of this invention is to provide improvements in expandinggarment hangers of the type which automatically adapts itself todifferent size skirts or trousers and which, by its inherent tendency toexpand, can support a garment. and hold it in shape.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expanding garmenthanger comprising two supporting arms each mounted for equal horizontalsliding movement and having a coil spring adapted to be compressedduring the movement of the arms, the coil spring causing outwardpressure and forcible distension of the arms after the hanger isinserted in a skirt or trousers and the pressure or tension on the armsis released,

whereby the garment is gripped and supported by the hanger.

This invention is an improvement on the garment hanger disclosed in ourpatent application Serial Number 611,200, filed August 1'7, 1945.

Another object of this invention is to provide finger grips in the saidexpanding type garment hanger whereby the user may move both thesupporting arms towards each other to facilitate the insertion of thehanger in a garment.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular arrangementand structural features of the cooperating elements.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention will behereinafter more particularly described, and the combination andarrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claim which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal view of the hanger, showing a coilspring in normally extended or open position and finger grips in farspaced relation.

Figure 2 is an end view of the hanger, partly broken away to show aportion of the housing in cross-section and one of the finger gripspassing through a slot in the housing, the spring being omitted.

Figure 8 is a side view of a supporting arm and integral finger-gripmember.

Figure 4 is a top view of the slotted housing.

Figure 5 is an end view of the housing.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 1 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-95)the numeral It indicates a finger-grip expandable skirt or trouserhanger comprising two arms II, II, positioned in coaxial slidablerelation.

Each arm has an extension l2 at its free end. The extension ispositioned in obtuse angular relation with the arm. Figure 1 is acentral longitudinal view of the hanger iii. The hanger I!) comprises atubular housing 13 which has a slot 54 at its upper elevation andthreads I5 at each end.

At each end of the housing [3 is a cover I6 of cylindricalcross-section. Each cover It comprises a tubular portion i1 having anopening of circular cross-section forming a, bearing 18 in which arms llhaving a circular cross-section may be mounted in slidable relation.

Mounted on the inner end portion of each arm II is an elongated bushing[9. The bushing i9 is fixedly held on the arm II by riveting the endportion of the arm. The bushing l9 has a collar 26. Mounted on eachbushing i9 and in abutting relation with the collar 20 is a finger grip2|.

The finger grip 2| is pressed on the elongated portion of the bushing I9so that the finger grip and bushing form an integral unit. The upperportion of the finger grip 2| is of a size to fit into and to be inslideable engagement Within the slot I4.

Mounted within the housing [3 is an open coil spring 22 which is ofsufiicient length to permit its engagement with both finger grips and topress the finger grips equally away from each other and in abuttingrelation With the covers I6.

A hook or supporting member 23 has a looped end of a size large enoughto engage a clothes rod or rail. At its lower end the hook member 23 isbent to provide one arm 24 of a bifurcation. The free end of the arm 24is positioned horizontally.

The hook member 23 comprises another arm 24' the free end of which isalso positioned horizontally. The upper end of the arm 24 is in coiledinterengagement with a coiled portion of the hook member 23. The twoarms 24, 24' are of a size permitting entrance into two circularopenings 25 on diametrically opposite sides and at the mid portion ofthe housing It.

As best shown in Figure 2, the free end portions of the arms 24, 24' areinside the housing l3 and are of sufiicient length to pass across thWire of the coils of the spring 22 (not shown).

With the arrangement shown, the finger grips 2! may be spaced apartsufficiently close so as to be engageable with two fingers of one handand moved equally towards each other to cause compression of the springfrom opposite ends. Each half of the spring is individually and equallycompressed because of the engagement of two of its coils with the arms24, 24, of the hook member 23.

It is to be noted that due to the axial arrangement of the supportingarms, that the arms may be made as long as desired while at the sametime maintaining a minimum length of housing, that is coextensive withthe spread length of the hand of the user. Only one length of housing isthus adaptable to any length of hanger.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described and illustratedthe preferred embodiment of our invention, but it will be understoodthat various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appendedclaim.

We claim:

In a level hanging one-hand actuated expandable garment hanger of theclass described, comprising a tubular housing having a longitudinal slotin its upper surface, covers and bearings secured respectively at eachend of said housing, a supporting hook pivotally positioned at thecentral portion of said housing, garment supporting arms slidable insaid bearings and having bushings at the ends inside said housing, twoequally movable finger-grip members slidable within said housing andpassing through said slot and being integral with said supporting armsfor bringing said supporting arms equally toward each other, said armsbeing equidistant from said central supporting hook in all adjustedpositions, a compression coil spring in said tubular housing pressingagainst said finger-grip members for extending said supporting arms,said hook having arms with free end portions passing between two coilsthrough the midportion of said spring, thereby causing each half of saidspring to be equally compressed and said fingergrip members to beequally movable toward each other supporting arms being positioned inobtuse angular relation with said housing and adapted to automaticallysupport various garments in normally level hanging position.

LEONARD B. HARRIS.

VITO R. PASCALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,247,551 Lendle Nov. 20, 19171,272,164 Williams July 9, 1918 1,804,314 Brun May 5, 1931 2,017,761Leonard Oct. 15, 1935 2,096,717 Hille Oct. 26, 1932 2,281,842 IsaacsonMay 5, 1942

